Chapter On Prohibition on Attributing to Allah What He Himself has not Done so

كَتَبْتُ عَلَى يَدَيْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّ قَوْماً بِالْعِرَاقِ يَصِفُونَ اللَّهَ بِالصُّورَةِ وَ بِالتَّخْطِيطِ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ جَعَلَنِيَ اللَّهُ فِدَاكَ أَنْ تَكْتُبَ إِلَيَّ بِالْمَذْهَبِ الصَّحِيحِ مِنَ التَّوْحِيدِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ سَأَلْتَ رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَ مَا ذَهَبَ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ قِبَلَكَ فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الَّذِي‌ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ

“In Iraq there are people who attribute to Allah forms and lines. If you consider it proper, may Allah take my soul in your service, please write for me the correct belief in the issue of the Oneness of Allah.” The Imam wrote for me, “May Allah grant you blessings. You have asked about the Oneness of Allah and the beli

قَالَ لِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع يَا أَبَا حَمْزَةَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُوصَفُ بِمَحْدُودِيَّةٍ عَظُمَ رَبُّنَا عَنِ الصِّفَةِ فَكَيْفَ يُوصَفُ بِمَحْدُودِيَّةٍ مَنْ لَا يُحَدُّ وَ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصارُ وَ هُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصارَ وَ هُوَ اللَّطِيفُ‌ الْخَبِيرُ.

“O abu Hamzah, Allah cannot be defined by the created things. Our Lord is far above being described through the attributes. How can the infinite be defined by the finite? ‘ No mortal eyes can see Him, but He can see all eyes. He is All-kind and All-aware.’” (6:103)

سُبْحَانَكَ مَا عَرَفُوكَ وَ لَا وَحَّدُوكَ فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ وَصَفُوكَ سُبْحَانَكَ لَوْ عَرَفُوكَ لَوَصَفُوكَ بِمَا وَصَفْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ كَيْفَ طَاوَعَتْهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ أَنْ يُشَبِّهُوكَ بِغَيْرِكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَا أَصِفُكَ إِلَّا بِمَا وَصَفْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ وَ لَا أُشَبِّهُكَ بِخَلْقِكَ أَنْتَ أَهْلٌ لِكُلِّ خَيْرٍ فَلَا تَجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَالَ مَ

3. Muhammad ibn abu ‘Abdallah has narrated from Muhammad ibn Isma‘il from al-Husayn ibn al-Hassan from Bakr ibn Salih from al-Hassan ibn Sa‘id from Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Khazzaz and Muhammad ibn al-Husayn they both have said the following. “We met Imam abu abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) and stated to him that Prophet M

قَالَ: لَوِ اجْتَمَعَ أَهْلُ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ أَنْ يَصِفُوا اللَّهَ بِعَظَمَتِهِ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا[1].

“Even if all those in heavens and earth would gather together to speak of the greatness of Allah they will not be able to do so.”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ ع‌[2] أَنَّ مَنْ قِبَلَنَا مِنْ مَوَالِيكَ قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ جِسْمٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ صُورَةٌ فَكَتَبَ ع بِخَطِّهِ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَا يُحَدُّ وَ لَا يُوصَفُ‌ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ ... وَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ*-" أَوْ قَالَ‌ الْبَصِيرُ".

The Imam replied in his own handwriting, “Glory belongs to Allah, Who can not be defined nor described. There is nothing similar to Him. He is All-hearing, All-knowing, or the Imam said All-seeing.”

كَتَبَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ع إِلَى أَبِي أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَعْلَى وَ أَجَلُّ وَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُبْلَغَ كُنْهُ صِفَتِهِ فَصِفُوهُ بِمَا وَصَفَ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ وَ كُفُّوا عَمَّا سِوَى ذَلِكَ.

“Imam abu al-Hassan Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) wrote to my father, ‘Allah is far High, Glorious and Great than that one can reach the essence of His attribute. Speak of only those of His attributes of which He Himself has spoken and refrain from attributes other than those ones.’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع عَنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ مِنَ الصِّفَةِ فَقَالَ لَا تَجَاوَزْ مَا فِي الْقُرْآنِ.

“I asked Imam abu al-Hassan (a.s.) about certain matters of the attributes (of Allah) and the Imam said, “Do not exceed what is in the holy Quran.”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ع أَنَّ مَنْ قِبَلَنَا قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ ع سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَا يُحَدُّ وَ لَا يُوصَفُ‌ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ.

“I wrote to the Imam explaining that people before us had differences on the issue of the Oneness of Allah.” The Imam wrote, “Glory belongs to Allah, Who can not be defined nor described. There is nothing similar to Him. He is All-hearing, All-seeing.”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ ع أَنَّ مَنْ قِبَلَنَا قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ جِسْمٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ‌ هُوَ صُورَةٌ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَا يُحَدُّ وَ لَا يُوصَفُ وَ لَا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ.

“Glory belongs to Allah, Who can not be defined nor described. There is nothing similar to Him. He is All-hearing, All-seeing.”

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ ع سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَ خَمْسِينَ وَ مِائَتَيْنِ قَدِ اخْتَلَفَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَصْحَابُنَا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ جِسْمٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ صُورَةٌ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَنْ تُعَلِّمَنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا أَقِفُ عَلَيْهِ وَ لَا أَجُوزُهُ فَعَلْتَ مُتَطَوِّلًا عَلَى عَبْدِكَ فَوَقَّعَ بِخَطِّهِ ع سَأَلْتَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَ هَذَا عَنْكُمْ مَعْزُولٌ‌[1] ا

The Imam answered in his own handwriting, “You have asked about the Oneness of Allah. It is not your duty to find Allah’s self. Allah is One, the Only One. He has no children and is not anyone’s child. There nothing similar to Him. He is the Creator and is not created. He, the Most Holy, the Most High, creates whatever

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُوصَفُ وَ كَيْفَ يُوصَفُ وَ قَدْ قَالَ فِي كِتَابِهِ- وَ ما قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ‌[2] فَلَا يُوصَفُ بِقَدَرٍ إِلَّا كَانَ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ.

“I heard Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) saying, ‘Allah cannot be defined. How can He be defined when He Himself has said in His book, “They have not respected Allah the way He truly should have been respected.” (6:91) Therefore, He cannot be described in any way but that He is great and above that.’”

قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَظِيمٌ رَفِيعٌ لَا يَقْدِرُ الْعِبَادُ عَلَى صِفَتِهِ وَ لَا يَبْلُغُونَ كُنْهَ عَظَمَتِهِ‌ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصارُ وَ هُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصارَ وَ هُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ وَ لَا يُوصَفُ بِكَيْفٍ وَ لَا أَيْنٍ وَ حَيْثٍ وَ كَيْفَ أَصِفُهُ بِالْكَيْفِ وَ هُوَ الَّذِي كَيَّفَ الْكَيْفَ‌[3] حَتَّى صَارَ كَيْفاً فَعَرَفْتُ الْكَيْفَ بِمَا كَيَّفَ لَنَا مِنَ الْكَيْفِ- أَمْ كَيْفَ أَصِفُهُ بِأَي

“Allah is Great and High. People cannot describe Him nor can they reach the depth of His Greatness. ‘ No mortal eyes can see Him, but He can see all eyes. He is All-kind and All-aware.’” (6:103) He cannot be described by means of how and where. How can I describe Him by means of any condition? He Himself has created th